Nanoparticles – Enhanced Biohydrogen Production: A Comprehensive Review of Mechanisms, Advances and Challenges

  • Unique Paper ID: 199755
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 11
  • PageNo: 14879-14892
  • Abstract:
  • The rapid increase in global energy demand and the limited sustainability of conventional fossil fuels have accelerated the alteration toward renewable energy sources. Hydrogen is considered a promising alternate energy source due to its high energy yield and ecologically benign nature, producing only water upon combustion. Among several biofuels, biohydrogen is considered as one of the most eco-friendly and efficient options, as it is carbon-neutral and can be synthesized from a wide range of renewable biomass and waste feedstocks. This review highlights recent improvements in dark fermentative biohydrogen production from several biomass sources, with a particular focus on the role of nanomaterial supplementation. Different types of nanoparticles, including titanium dioxide, copper, silver, gold, palladium, iron, nickel, and cobalt nanoparticles, have been examined for their ability to increase hydrogen production efficiency. These nanomaterials improve microbial activity, facilitate electron transfer, and enhance enzymatic functions, thereby significantly increasing hydrogen yield. Furthermore, the review discusses the underlying mechanisms of nanoparticle-assisted enhancement, including microbial community modulation, enzyme activation and improved redox balance. Despite the promising outcomes, challenges related to nanoparticle toxicity, cost and large-scale implementation remain. Future research should concentrate on developing sustainable synthesis techniques, optimizing nanoparticle properties, and evaluating long-term environmental impacts to enable practical applications of this technology.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{199755,
        author = {Kothaimanimaran Brindha},
        title = {Nanoparticles – Enhanced Biohydrogen Production: A Comprehensive Review of Mechanisms, Advances and Challenges},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {11},
        pages = {14879-14892},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=199755},
        abstract = {The rapid increase in global energy demand and the limited sustainability of conventional fossil fuels have accelerated the alteration toward renewable energy sources. Hydrogen is considered a promising alternate energy source due to its high energy yield and ecologically benign nature, producing only water upon combustion. Among several biofuels, biohydrogen is considered as one of the most eco-friendly and efficient options, as it is carbon-neutral and can be synthesized from a wide range of renewable biomass and waste feedstocks. This review highlights recent improvements in dark fermentative biohydrogen production from several biomass sources, with a particular focus on the role of nanomaterial supplementation. Different types of nanoparticles, including titanium dioxide, copper, silver, gold, palladium, iron, nickel, and cobalt nanoparticles, have been examined for their ability to increase hydrogen production efficiency. These nanomaterials improve microbial activity, facilitate electron transfer, and enhance enzymatic functions, thereby significantly increasing hydrogen yield. Furthermore, the review discusses the underlying mechanisms of nanoparticle-assisted enhancement, including microbial community modulation, enzyme activation and improved redox balance. Despite the promising outcomes, challenges related to nanoparticle toxicity, cost and large-scale implementation remain. Future research should concentrate on developing sustainable synthesis techniques, optimizing nanoparticle properties, and evaluating long-term environmental impacts to enable practical applications of this technology.},
        keywords = {Nanoparticles, Biohydrogen, Biofuels, Fermentation, Enzymes},
        month = {April},
        }

Cite This Article

Brindha, K. (2026). Nanoparticles – Enhanced Biohydrogen Production: A Comprehensive Review of Mechanisms, Advances and Challenges. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 12(11), 14879–14892.

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